A composed, deeply refined nose unfolds with Granny Smith apple, macadamia and saline patisserie, accented by violet. The palate is poised and authoritative, its fine, persistent perlage carrying rose petal, fresh almond...

The flagship cuvée of Delamotte, the only house to offer a blend of the six crus of the Côte des Blancs. The 2018 vintage strikes a very solid balance between the generosity of this sunny vintage and the core terroirs...

(95+ points) One of the greatest hits from Rare Champagne, the 2012 Rare Millésime is produced from fruit harvested between September 10 and 26. Disgorged in November 2023 with a dosage of eight grams per liter, it is a...

One of my wines of the tasting, this has terrific tension, elegance and completeness from start to the persistently long finish. It has super-refined definition with minerals, nougat, cream, toast and sweet white pear...

A vibrant, graceful Champagne that shows fine definition and integration, with a mouthwatering frame of acidity. The persistent, lacy mousse is enmeshed with an appealing range of ripe and juicy black cherry and...

Hints of brioche and lemon meringue pie enrich the flavors of cassis and apricot fruit, pickled ginger, smoke and roasted hazelnut in this classy Champagne, backed by vibrant acidity. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot...

Dom Ruinart 2013 is a blanc de blancs of lithe, satin-smooth beauty already upon release, very much built around the reserved, cool energy of the 2013 vintage. This cuvée's new aromatic range, amplified since the 2010...

95+ The bright yellow 2021 Champagne Premier Cru Special Club Brut originates from the Grand Crus of Louvois, Chouilly, and their home base of Mareuil-sur-Ay, which features vines over 50 years old. Aged in stainless...

2015 is the current release of Salon as the team is quietly waiting for the very promising 2014 to be ready. It is a surprisingly concentrated yet open Salon, already pale gold in the glass. The ripe nose – on the poire...

The same blend as the Blanc but including 5% red wine from their La Côte aux Enfants parcel, the 2015 Champagne La Grande Année Brut Rosé is a lovely wine on the nose, and I think I might like it more than the Blanc in...

An elegant Champagne that glides across the palate on its satiny mousse, integrating a chalky underpinning and pleasing range of white cherry, grainy pear, toasted almond, vanilla wafer, and pretty verbena and ginger...

An elegant Champagne that glides across the palate on its satiny mousse, integrating a chalky underpinning and pleasing range of white cherry, grainy pear, toasted almond, vanilla wafer, and pretty verbena and ginger...

Crafted around the 2018 vintage, the NV Champagne Le Sous Bois is a blend of 33% Meunier, 39% Chardonnay, and the remainder Pinot Noir, with 37% reserve wine, the oldest part from 2006. A copper straw color, entirely...

The 2012 Brut Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is a very sexy Champagne, but it is also quite reserved, especially within the context of the year. Crushed rose petal, kirsch, white pepper, slate and mint are all beautifully...

(94+ points) Disgorged in January 2024 with a dosage of 4.4 grams per liter, the 2013 Rosé Elisabeth Salmon emerges from this cool, late-ripening vintage as a rather giving, generous rendition. It unfurls in the glass...

The 2009 Brut Blancs de Blancs Louis Salmon is a rich, heady wine. In 2009, Billecart-Salmon opted not to use lots aged in oak, which, along with partially blocked malolactic fermentation, helps explain the wine's...

The 2007 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François continues to show beautifully, wafting from the glass with scents of sweet orchard fruit, citrus oil, clear honey, white flowers, buttery pastry and warm biscuits. Medium to...

A composed, deeply refined nose unfolds with Granny Smith apple, macadamia and saline patisserie, accented by violet. The palate is poised and authoritative, its fine, persistent perlage carrying rose petal, fresh almond...

A composed, deeply refined nose unfolds with Granny Smith apple, macadamia and saline patisserie, accented by violet. The palate is poised and authoritative, its fine, persistent perlage carrying rose petal, fresh almond...

(94+ points) From a bottle disgorged in March 2017, Bollinger's 2007 La Grande Année is showing brilliantly, offering up a superb bouquet of lemon oil, confit citrus, almond paste, iodine, walnut oil and freshly baked...

(91+ points) Produced on the foundation of the 2020 harvest and complemented by 30% reserve wines, Charles Heidsieck’s NV Blanc de Blancs (laid in chalk cellars in 2021) was disgorged at the end of 2023 with a dosage of...

Rich and decadent nose that shows dried apricots, dried lemons and pie crust. Caramel and sweet hazelnuts, too. Refined bubbles, a creamy texture and a crisp and lively finish. Drink or hold.

A late release of this excellent vintage. Pretty aromas of vanilla, sweet croissants and pineapple tart follow through to a full body with lots of fruit and character. Bread-dough and pie-crust undertones in the finish...

Aromas of tangerines with clementines and cookie dough, as well as hints of flint and orange blossom. Fascinating already. Full-bodied with density and complexity and lots of character. Rich at the beginning and then...

Only the fourth-ever release of this cuvée, the 2008 Champagne Celebris Rosé pours an orange/salmon color and is outstanding on opening, with a perfume of fresh rose petals, honeycomb, and cherry blossoms. Long on the...

Made from equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the 2012 Champagne Brut Millésime is the 30th vintage of this cuvée, and the next vintage will be 2015. For at least the last five vintages, the wine was aged a minimum of...

A mouthwatering version, with a creamy mousse and a tangy palate of ripe blackberry, lemon parfait, poached apricot and biscuit, underscored by a thread of smoky mineral and ground spice. Shows beautiful balance. Drink...

The 2018 Champagne Starck Brut Nature exhibits notes of lemon and citrus oils, but the stone fruit has a silkiness, not the tannic side you sometimes see. It also has hints of savory toast, but it remains very elegant...

The 2008 Cristal is just fabulous. Chiseled and nuanced to the core, the 2008 possesses dazzling intensity from start to finish. Crushed rocks, lemon peel, graphite, mint, lime, chalk and white flowers all race across the...

I thought the 2012s would be a good place to start this lunch, as the wines have always been quite open and seductive. That is very much the case today. The 2012 Cristal is quite delicate and floral, with hints of pear...